Tennessee Rep. Frank Nicely is back this session with another effort to smooth the way for a horse slaughterhouse to open in the state. House Bill 3619 just cleared the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee and could be scheduled for a vote by the full House at any time.

Until the committee hearing the bill simply directed the agriculture commissioner to post and keep current statistics and other information required to be collected about equines and to provide that information upon request to the Tennessee Equine Association.

Harmless enough, except that during the committee hearing on March 13, 2012, Nicely introduced amendments under a new declaration that “the General Assembly intends to encourage the location of equine slaughter and processing facilities in Tennessee that meet…requirements”. The new provisions approved by the committee would make it more difficult to challenge issuance of a permit for a horse slaughter facility by requiring a bond equal to 20% of the estimated cost of building the facility or operational costs, if those can be determined. Venue would be limited to the court where the facility is located and not also where the defendant can be found or does business.

A challenger would be required to pay the slaughter facility’s legal fees and court costs if a court finds the suit was without merit or brought for an “improper purpose” including harassment, delay or interference. If a plaintiff does not prevail ultimately after obtaining an injunction, the plaintiff “is liable for all financial losses the facility suffers” as a result of an injunction halting operations.

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SAMPLE MESSAGE

Please vote NO on H.B. 3619. I, and the 70% of Americans who do not support horse slaughter, will not consider voting for any congressperson who supports horse slaughter, or transport to horse slaughter, in any manner; I will only vote for candidates who vote NO on H.B. 3619.

we shake our heads we want to rant
why would any state want horse slaughter plants
animals are not commodities
yet compassion is treated like an oddity
we will not sit back we will not yield
until there is an end to these killing fields

shame on tennessee for even thinking about opening a horse slaughter plant, horses are not for food, remember in the bible where it says we are to eat only animals with a split hoof? i do. we are no 3rd world country and there is plenty of cows , just look at all the land taken away from our wild mustangs so more cows can live in there place. the only people who want horse slaughter plants are the greedy money hungry people for a quick buck. shame AMERICA has come to this, and shame on the 3 senators who passed this in the first place and mr. obama for allowing it to be passed even after he promised in his campaign speech he would not allow it. this country is really getting out of control. ashamed to be called american right now, all the innocent animals have to suffer and die for the ol mighty $$$$$.

we shake our heads we want to rant
why would any state want horse slaughter plants
animals are not commodities
yet compassion is treated like an oddity
we will not sit back we will not yield
until there is an end to these killing fields

This vile politician, Frank Nicely, has been shipping horses to Canada and Mexico. I had the “pleasure” of speaking to this monster who has no trouble sleeping at night nor looking at his miserable reflection in the mirror, while these animals are meeting their unthinkable fate! Nicely is just one example of a present day Hilter.

OMG ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING ! WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE.? I HATE THIS LIFE FOR ANIMALS MORE AND MORE EACH DAY. NO EXCUSE, NO REASON, AND ALL ABOUT MONEY THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL. WELL I DO BELIEVE IN KARMA, SO LETS PRAY THAT WHO EVER PLAYS ANY PART IN THIS SLAUGHTER OF HORSES THAT THEY GET THEIRS SOONER THAN LATER!

The bill is much needed to help protect these animals. Horses that are evaluated and deemed to not be recoverable should be put down in an controlled and humane environment. Why should these horses suffer on everyones 1/2 acre or less starving to death. No one can afford grain or hay but they can afford that free animal that suffers the rest of its life. As well the plants will create jobs. The Hermingston plant is proposing to hire 50 to 100 people.